Ruby celebrations for SMC

Scottish Marriage Care (SMC) celebrates 40 years of relationship counselling on 12th November 2005. Over that time thousands of adults and children have directly benefited from its service. Over the years, SMC has grown and diversified to meet people's changing needs. Its celebrations coincide with the Justice 1 Committee's consideration of amendments to the Family Law Bill which will increase the availability of services across Scotland.

SMC is a registered charity and delivers services to the whole community without judgement or discrimination on any grounds. Our services, delivered directly via 15 local centres and counselling outlets, include:

• relationship counselling for couples and individuals; support for those whose relationship breaks down;
• 'FOCCUS'  which is a relationship inventory for couples planning to enter a committed relationship;
• 'REFOCCUS' which is a relationship MOT;
• early intervention initiatives in relationship skills such as communication, conflict negotiation and listening;
• specialist relationship services for young people and young parents; and 
• accredited training courses.

Mary Toner, Chief Executive of SMC, points out that counselling works for couples of all ages and stages but access and availability needs to be better. Relationships can improve after just three or four visits to an SMC counsellor so this is a value for money service.

From research and its 40 years of practice SMC knows that:

• Many couples have had relationship difficulties for up to seven years before they seek help from counselling.
• Damaged relationships do not need to end in separation, divorce or acrimony. With the right help from relationship counselling services, couples can thrive individually, as can the children and wider family e.g grandparents.
• Couples may separate but children will thrive if the relationship between adults is healthy.
• Counselling does help unhappy relationships by reducing stress and changing negative behaviours, at work and at home, and that works equally well for men and women of social backgrounds.
• If separating parents can maintain a good healthy relationship with each other, then this impacts positively on the child and can improve life chances in areas such as education and health. Relationship counselling helps separating parents to achieve a more amicable split, thereby minimising the negative effects of breakdown for adults and children alike and stabilising the transition to new forms of family.
• Couples in Scotland face a number of barriers accessing the services, including denial that a problem exists, lack of awareness of services and how to access them, and availability.

SMC looks forward to a bright future of delivering relationship counselling services which are accessible and available when people most need them. The benefits to families, to children, and to the wider community and employers too will be significant.

For further information, please contact:

Mary Toner, Chief Executive
Scottish Marriage Care, 72 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 7DA

Phone:0141-222 2166
Fax: 0141-222 2144
E-mail: Info@ScottishMarriageCare.org

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